Black Studies Association

The Black Studies Association aims to build the discipline of Black Studies into a force in the UK. We define Black Studies as:

Study rooted in the lived and historical experiences of Africa and the African
Diaspora

An interdisciplinary field of study that embraces work in the Arts and Humanities,
Social Sciences and where relevant the Natural Sciences.

Committed to connecting into the struggles and experiences of communities outside of
academia. A central feature of Black Studies should be a commitment to the uplift of Black communities across the African Diaspora and African continent. Black Studies should also
connectDiaspora and continental communities, as we know there are plenty of vibrant intellectual and
other publics on the continent that nowadays have as much if not more investment in our UK communities than others.

An intersectional field of study interested in exploring Blackness in relation to
other identities and subject positions.

Dedicated to a wider programme of decolonisation that unites the African Diaspora
with oppressed groups across the globe.

The Association aims to carry out the following activities which benefit the community :

Develop and promote the discipline of Black Studies at higher education and within mainstream school curricular.

Publish a peer-reviewed open access journal in the discipline of Black Studies that is free for authors to submit to and free to read.

Support graduates and postgraduate students in the field of Black Studies to complete their studies; gain access to funding; and also to find
employment.

Organise a regular series of seminars across the UK and also a major Black Studies conference at least biennially.

Develop collaborative research bids to fund Black Studies research, study, service-learning and work placements in the UK and overseas.

Develop scholarship and activity that locates and explores the importance and contribution of the Black presence in the UK, historically, contemporarily and in the
future.

Connect the academy to the community in all of our work and objectives.

The Association is formed of four different committees that we invite members to participate in. The committees examine: the Discipline of Black Studies;
Conferences and Events; developing a peer reviewed Journal; and a Postgraduate Forum.